Laminated gasket



United States This invention relates to an improved 'gasketandprticularly to a gasket ofthe Character such as is employed ininternal combustion engines between the cylinder blot-:k

and the cylinder head to seal the yoints about tle combustion chambersand the uid pressure openings. l

This gasket is particularly designed to be used'oi high compressioninternal combustion enginesl wherein the gasket is subject to high heatand high pressure.

An object is to provide an improved gasketfor high compression internalcombustion engines which gasket is relativelythin and presents a minimumthickness to the heat within the combustion chambers, yet is adapted toeffectively seal the joint between the cylinder block and the cylinderhead against leakage.

Heretofore, gaskets have been provided for the purpose above describedwhich gaskets were formed of metal sheets, or metal and Vasbestos iibersheets laminated together, or in various ways. One conventional andwidely used type of gasket consisted of a core layer of metal to theopposite sides of which laminations of asbestos were secured. Suchgasket when provided for the cylindery head of an internal combustionautomobile engine might possess a normal uncompressed thickness of .064.

The gasket of this invention is formed of metal throughout. It comprisesa plurality of metal layers securely laminated together. The innerkcorelayer consists of `a steel sheet. The outer surface layers are formed ofaluminum, or other suitably soft and readily deformable metal secured tothe steel core layer. The entire gasket presents a thicknesssubstantially less than half of that of the laminated steel asbestosgasket immediately hereinabove referred to. As compared with a steelasbestos gasket of .064 normal uncompressed thickness, the gasket ofthis application preferably presents a thickness less than .030. Suchgaskets have been found successful as cylinder head gaskets under severeconditions of use with high compression internal combustion motorvehicle engines.

Various other objects and advantages of the gasket of this inventionwill appear from the following description, claims and the accompanyingdrawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan of a fragment of a cylinder headgasket embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a substantially enlarged sectional view taken along line 2-2of Fig. l.

The gasket of this invention has been designed primarily as a cylinderhead gasket for high compression internal combustion engines, in whichthe heat and the pressure is high and where it is desired to have agasket which is relatively thin so that a minimum amount of gasketmaterial is exposed. It is necessary however that the gasket seal thejoint formed between the cylinder head and the block and seal iteffectively against leakage which would result because of the highpressure.

The gasket of this invention is formed of three layers of metallaminated securely together. The inner layer is formed of a resilientsheet of steel. This serves as the core layer and has a plurality ofclosely associated prongs punched therefrom in opposite directions. Thislayer is each a `Soft c opperworgmagesium might. be used.. tionyorfthelgatsketa steel sheet may be rolled e Shall ,is Shawn. @applicantsPatent NQ- drm'thspprongs] inthe, Steel layer. ,Such

fo rn in a They are closely Aassociatlecll together. I:The prongs have athan :thethick'ness of the* sheet.

Th ihrnllayers, arefhen failed en tothe aadthepranss.arepresssdthroughthe ammi: Vlayers Vand embedded therein beingjin partclenched er 'ashowjn Fie .2f ,The'pronssexrend through mdayersandarebent` overrthereinto. vThe iroflss-. soft outer aluminum layers are notinherently resilient.

The embedding of therpjrongs in the soft ,outergaluminum .against.thelcorelayer when the gasket is Mput-into Following the laminating ofthe three layers together, the laminated gasket is annealed. Aluminumanneals at relatively low temperatures of 700 to 850 F. Such annealingtemperatures are insucient to anneal Ythe steel but the strainsresulting from the fabrication of the structure are minimized.

The structure is designed, as heretofore stated, to presentaminimumthickness. The completed gasket may well present a normaluncompressed thickness of less than .030". When the gasket is placed inuse betweenV the cylinder head and the cylinder block and the stud boltstightened down under normal bolt-lighteningV pressures the soft outermetal layers are deformed by the surface irregularities of the block andthe head 'and'yield so as to fill the surface recesses kand'provide 'aytight joint withY the surface of the head andthe surface of the block.Each of the two outer layers of the laminated gasket has a normaluncompressed thickness notV exceeding .010".

- resiliency of the prongs embedded throughout the area ofY the outersurface layers may expand to present an overall thickness of .0279.Thesurface irregularities in the cooperating Isurfaces of the block andhead may reach .001 of an inch'in each part. The soft outer surfacelayers conform to` substantially fill such irregularities. The resilientprongs serve to assist such layers in maintaining such close contactunder use. The figures which 'have been given were taken from actualtests.

What I claim is:

1. A gasket having va iiuid opening therethrough and consisting of threelayers of metal laminated together, the inner core layer being a Vsteelsheet layer having a multiplicity of closely associated'prongs punchedltherefrom on opposite sides, the two outerlayers being formed of deadsoft aluminum continuous sheet material which is readily deformable butinherently nonresilient, saidtwo outer layers pressed tightly againstthe opposite'sides of the core layer with the prongs of the core layerembedded and clenched over thereintoand extending at an angle less thana right angle with respect to the plane of the core layer, Ysaid prongspossessing an inherent resiliency yield-VV ingly tensioning the softaluminum materialv of the two i xcatedirthe drawingvof Fig- 2 as 10 andthe prongs f aftelidi'ate. by thsuiaeral 12 The ,tv/.0 .outerlayers chis indicat d -by'thie numeralll, are formed j t.a`s.1.1`y...df.0.r'atblematerial,- such ,as dead. soft in opposite directions4 from the sheettendsto urge stichw` aluminum :layers to resist compunched therefrom onopposite sides, the two outer layers being continuous sheet metal layersof deformable nonresilient material possessing a softness approximatingthat of dead soft aluminum, said two outer layers being pressed tightlyagainst the opposite sides of the core layervwith the prongs of the corelayer embedded and clenched over within the other layers, said prongswhen embedded within the two outer layers extending away from thel planeof the core layer at an angle thereto which is less than a right angle,said prongs being inherently resilient and at-a temperature sufcientlyhigh to anneal the soft outer surface layers but insufficient to annealthe material of the core layer.

4. A laminated gasket consisting of a steel `sheet core layer having amultiplicity of closely associated prongs punched therefrom on onesurface and substantially 25 throughout the area thereof and an outerlayer of readily deformable nonresilient sheet metal having a softnessapproximately that of dead soft aluminum pressed tightly against thatsurface of the core layer provided with the prongs and with the prongsextending thereinto and clenched thereover, said prongs extending awayfrom the plane of the core layer through the outer layer at an angle ofless than 90 with respect to the plane of the core layer and beinginherently resilient and resisting bending thereof towards the plane ofthe core layer and tensioning the outer layer to resist compressionthereof against the core layer.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS reim

